Pape and Dingwall Books

I didnt want to review this place at all. i feel the guilt zapping its way into my heart with each letter of each word. but i do believe that there is validity to an opinion, an experience and i will try to stay to the facts.
the most obvious and overriding problem that exists at pape and dingwall is that it is severely disorganized. some stuff has been put on shelves, while most of it is strewn around on tables, on the floor, as though someone just ravaged it looking for a world ending micro chip or something.
i am sure to some degree the owner has his own sense of where things are, like when your mom used to clean your room and rearrange your mess into what she thought was clean and you could never find anything after that. but this is a public place. this is a place of business. i should be able to walk in there and find what i need with ease; i should be able to peruse with comfort. none of this is possible. he said that he had spent the whole day organizing, featuring more christmas themed stock up front, as though, it was unusual for it to be this disorganized and messy. i find that supremely hard to believe. ive been by there before, over a week ago or longer, and it was just as frightful looking inside.
on one of the bookshelves sits a coffeemaker on top of which the owner was cooking a ramen soup both this time and the time i passed by earlier. there has got to be a place for that in the store, in the back, behind the counter, in the stock room, somewhere else besides the mystery novel section.
i feel horrible, but kind of aghast at the same time with regard to all of this. i think it would only benefit him to close down for a week or so, organize everything and make it look palatable and inviting for the neighbourhood.
i tried to slink in quietly without wanting any help, but that wasnt an option. the noodle soup was put on hold and i was given the rundown of the entire store. the store, in addition to new, used and as new books, has a little showcase with some jewellery mostly obscured by riffraff lying atop it; there are some dvds that hes hoping to rent in the future, a stand with a few shoulder strap bags, a few jewellery display stands and other trinketry for sale. the feeling seems to be, whatever has a chance at selling is dropped in for good measure.
now as for the books, it seems that he had some good finds. for example, i was looking at some elmore leonard novels and short story books, and there were about ten lets say that were there. as i understand from the owner, someone like elmore leonard is hard to find in used books stores, because of how well liked he is as a writer. (the notion is that people are less willing to part with their prized writers, like leonards.) i cant say whether that rings true to me or not, as i dont have such a thorough knowledge of either elmore leonard or this notion, but it seemed not to be difficult to believe either. i did notice that they had a handful of dashiell hammett books which i have had difficulty finding in other used book stores.
in terms of price, its a strange thing on which to comment, because part of the way a consumer will gauge the fairness of price has to do with the environment in which the merchandise is found — ambiance, customer service and so forth. if i had to judge this place considering those factors, i would expect a book to cost no more than a buck at most. all those factors aside, i was prepared to buy 4 elmore leonard books at a price of 26 bucks plus tax. they were all in decent to very good condition and you could only pay in cash. you be the judge.
believe it or not, i cant say that ill never come back here again, but if i do so, it wont be to browse, unless theres a major cleaning overhaul; ill probably pop my head in, (literally), ask if he has a book im looking for, how much it is, consider how much the price is relative to other bookstores, and if its worth it hand over the dough.
otherwise, ill pay the extra paper to not be filled with the fear of cooties.